On 11th June 1940 this 220 Squadron aircraft took off from Thornaby airfield at 03.20hrs. It left the ground normally and climbed away to around two hundred feet after which a turn to the right was made which increased in steepness until it stalled and flew into the ground. The crash site is believed to have been near to Quarry Farm, Ingleby Barwick. The crash caused the bomb load to explode which resulted in the deaths of all four airmen. The investigation into the incident and the Court of Inquiry returned verdicts of "cause obscure". This would be the first of two Hudson crashes at Quarry Farm. The crash site has almost certainly been built over with housing in years since the War.
Hudson P5127 was built to contract 791587/38 by Lockheed at Burbank and after delivery to the UK, assembly it was issued to 10 MU on 9th March 1940. The aircraft was then taken on charge by 220 Squadron on 18th April 1940. It was destroyed in the crash on 11th June 1940 and was struck off charge three days later.
Pilot - Sgt Eric Morgan RAF (700305), aged 30. Buried Thornaby on Tees Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Pilot - Sgt Dennis Robert Holbeche RAF (564819), aged 26. Buried Thornaby on Tees Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Wireless Operator - AC1 William Charles Irvine RAF (625299), aged 19. Buried Thornaby on Tees Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Air Gunner - Sgt James Richard Butterworth RAF (525413), aged 23. Buried Thornaby on Tees Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Sgt Eric Morgan and his gravestone.
Sgt Dennis Holbeche and his gravestone. He had survived the landing accident to Hudson "NR-H" on 7th April 1940 at Thornaby and to Anson K6200 at Thornaby on 28th September 1939.
Gravestones of the other two who sadly were killed in this incident. Sgt Butterworth was a serving air gunner with 608 Squadron but was "loaned" to 220 Squadron, he was from Kendal.